Safe Room Purchase and Rebate

Purchasing a Safe Room Under This Program

This is a rebate program. Participants must pay the total cost of their safe room upfront/out-of-pocket. The average cost of a safe room is $3,000 - $6,000.

The participant will receive a direct reimbursement from the City of Rowlett unless they choose to have the City directly reimburse their installer.

Participants may elect to finance the purchase of a safe room under this program. The purpose of this option is to decrease the non-participation rate seen in other programs, due to the high cost of a safe room. There are restrictions on this option, including:

Only participants selected in the first full selection process will have this option.

After receiving a notice to proceed from Rowlett OEM, the participant will have thirty (30) days to obtain a loan and submit a copy of the agreement to Rowlett OEM. The participant will also have to provide an itemized invoice from the installer.

The loan period cannot be for longer than twelve (12) months.

The participant will have to provide proof that the loan has been completely paid off before a rebate request can be submitted.

The participant must have the safe room installed and complete the other required steps and documentation within six months of receiving the notice to proceed.

Loan processing and interest fees are not eligible.

If a participant chooses to cover ineligible costs with the loan, these costs will not be reimbursed under this program.

Rebate

The rebate amount will be for up to $3,000 or fifty percent (50%) of the cost of the safe room and other allowable costs (see the Eligible and Ineligible Costs section below).

Reimbursement is expected to take approximately 2-6 months after the participant has submitted all required final documentation.

The participant will be mailed a check for the total approved rebate amount.

The City of Rowlett will submit requests for reimbursement to the State on a monthly basis. However, this timeframe may be shortened or extended based on the turnaround speed of the State.

Reimbursement Process Steps:

The participant purchases the safe room and submits all required documentation, including proof of payment, to Rowlett OEM.

Rowlett OEM reviews the documentation and works with the participant to correct any issues with the submitted documentation.

Rowlett OEM submits the documentation to the Rowlett Financial Services Department for final review.

Rowlett Financial Services reviews the documentation and works with Rowlett OEM to correct any issues with the submitted documentation.

Rowlett Financial Services approves the documentation and submits an advanced payment request for a set of rebates to the State.

TDEM reviews the request and documentation and works with Rowlett OEM and Financial Services to correct any issues.

TDEM approves the request and releases the funds to the City.

The City receives the funds and makes payment to the participant within five (5) business days.

Eligible and Ineligible Costs

Eligible Components of Residential Safe Rooms Building Systems and Components:

Structural systems that directly support or protect the safe room to provide near-absolute, life-safety protection